Ole Miss joins jam-packed recruiting race for prolific four-star running back

It's never too early to look ahead in today's landscape of college football recruiting . That's exactly what Ole Miss and head coach Lane Kiffin appear to be doing following the latest recruiting news out of Oxford.

On Sunday, Ole Miss extended an offer to 2026 four-star running back Javian Mallory, per Mallory's X profile.

Mallory, who hails from Boca Raton, Fla., is already receiving plenty of interest across the nation, but, more specifically, the SEC. Ole Miss is the ninth SEC program to extend an offer to the highly touted running back joining the likes of Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Mississippi State and others. It's currently believed that the University of Miami has an early edge in Mallory's recruitment.

It's easy to see why some of the nation's top programs are already showing interest in Mallory. He stands six feet tall and weighs 200 pounds, but has the ability to make defenders miss in the ground game as well as receiving the ball out of the backfield. Rivals.com ranks Mallory as the No. 9 running back in the 2026 cycle and No. 21 prospect in the state of Florida.

Ole Miss does not yet have a single commitment for the 2026 cycle as Kiffin and Co. have been busy of late building the 2025 class . However, the Rebels are always in the market for a dual threat running back which is exactly what Mallory's skillset offers.

Although Ole Miss might be late to the party, Kiffin and his staff can make up ground quickly on the recruiting trail. Mallory will be one to keep an eye on moving forward.